Cal rebounds strongly, upsets UCLA

BERKELEY -- Zach Maynard threw four touchdown passes and Cal gave 57,643 fans at Memorial Stadium something to cheer about Saturday night with a 43-17 upset of No. 25 UCLA.

The Bears (2-4, 1-2 Pac-12) avoided losing a fourth straight game for the first time in embattled coach Jeff Tedford's 11 seasons and beat the Bruins (4-2, 1-2) for the seventh straight time in Berkeley.

"It was much needed," Tedford said of his team's first win this season over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent. "It's been a tough few weeks for us. This is definitely going to give us a boost."

There was enthusiastic celebration heard from the Cal dressing room afterward.

"We were jumping around and ecstatic," tight end Richard Rodgers said. "It's just a great feeling to win. We definitely have to do a lot more winning ... we're not done yet."

Tedford said his players delivered a big performance the night after watching a video about former Cal quarterback great Joe Roth, in whose honor the game was played. Roth died of cancer in February 1977, just a few months after playing his senior season.

"We show it every year because it's very inspirational," Tedford said. "He talks about character, he talks about don't quit. I thought that really brought a lot of emotion out in our guys. They left it all out there."

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No one responded better than Maynard, coming off one of the worst games of his career in a loss to Arizona State. Maynard was intercepted on his first attempt of the night against UCLA, but otherwise was exceptional.

A week after completing just 9 of 28 attempts, Maynard was 25 for 30 for 295 yards. He had TD passes of 8 and 34 yards to half-brother Keenan Allen, 5 yards to running back C.J. Anderson and 32 yards to running back Brendan Bigelow.

"He managed the game really well," Tedford said. "When he had pressure, he didn't force it."

It helped that Maynard generally had time to locate his target. After being sacked an NCAA-worst 25 times in Cal's first five games, he was taken down just three times by the Bruins.

Cal, which avoided starting 0-3 in the Pac-12 for the second straight season, also got a huge performance from its defense. Sophomore cornerback Kameron Jackson, subbing for injured starter Marc Anthony, had three interceptions and the Bears forced the Bruins into five turnovers.

UCLA, which entered the game leading the Pac-12 in total offense at 500 yards per game, was limited to a season-low 382 yards. Redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Hundley passed for 253 yards, but was sacked five times and intercepted four times.

"Tough game for us," first-year UCLA coach Jim Mora said. "Cal is a talented team that played very well tonight. They were relentless (defensively). They were maniacal."

The Bears, leading 29-17, were positioned to ice the game early in the fourth quarter, but turned the ball over twice in a span of 120 seconds, the fumbles sandwiched around an interception by Jackson.

UCLA drove to the Cal 20 before Bears safety Michael Lowe intercepted a pass deflected by Jackson and returned it 42 yards to the UCLA 27 with 7:57 left. Anderson ran three times to get the ball to the 1 before Maynard converted the quarterback sneak for a 36-17 lead with 6:32 left.

Cal quarterback Zach Maynard (15) celebrates with the crowd after a 43-17 victory against UCLA in a NCAA college football game in Berkeley on Saturday. (Tony Avelar/AP)

Anderson capped the scoring by running 68 yards for a TD with 1:32 left, giving him a career-high 151 rushing yards.

Cal stretched its lead to 23-7 when Maynard threw his third TD of the night, a 32-yarder to Bigelow. The sophomore running back was split left, caught a quick pass, then exploded down the sideline for the TD with 12:33 left in the third quarter.

A 20-yard punt return by Allen set up the one-play scoring drive.

Rodgers, limited to three catches this season primarily because of a nagging foot injury, had a breakout game with seven receptions for 129 yards.

"He hasn't been healthy all season. Finally he's back and it gives us one more weapon," Tedford said.

Cornerback Anthony came out of the game early after aggravating a bruised knee. Defensive lineman Todd Barr pulled a calf muscle.

Allen caught eight passes for 79 yards, pushing his career reception total to 185, third-most in school history.

Cal beat a ranked team for the first time since its 34-28 win over No. 14 Stanford in the 2009 Big Game.

Maynard had thrown four touchdown passes in a game once before, in Cal's overtime victory at Colorado last season.

Bigelow, who did not touch the ball a week ago vs. ASU two weeks after rushing for 160 yards at Ohio State, got his first career start. He carried the ball five times for just 12 yards, but showed his great speed on the 32-yard catch-and-run that stretched Cal's lead to 23-17.

Renovated Memorial Stadium was rededicated during halftime ceremonies, including the unveiling of a new inscription in the north tunnel that reads: "In memory of all Californians who have sacrificed their lives in service to our nation."

Memorial Stadium, originally built in 1923, was first dedicated to Californians killed during World War I.

Cal's Homecoming weekend will conclude Sunday with a Memorial Stadium open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Visitors may enter through the north tunnel and take a self-guided tour.